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Since the type of intergenerational transfers in the mainstream literature was from parents to children, the discussion focused on parents' strategies of how to use such transfers to lure a desired behavior on the part of their children. The prevalent norm of filial piety in Chinese societies suggests that parents may well think otherwise. It is shown that many Chinese parents give up their “final say” by transferring all their assets inter vivos, and their children still pay visits, sometimes more frequently, after such transfers. It is hypothesized that a kinship network may play the role...

Since the type of intergenerational transfers in the mainstream literature was from parents to children, the discussion focused on parents' strategies of how to use such transfers to lure a desired behavior on the part of their children. The prevalent norm of filial piety in Chinese societies suggests that parents may well think otherwise. It is shown that many Chinese parents give up their “final say” by transferring all their assets inter vivos, and their children still pay visits, sometimes more frequently, after such transfers. It is hypothesized that a kinship network may play the role of disciplining the children concerning their filial attitude. The empirical evidence for Taiwan is consistent with the above conjecture, but no significant results prevail for the China sample. The latter finding may be due to the weakening of kinship structure that China has experienced since the Cultural Revolution, and the restrictions on property ownership which limit the parental control of assets.